It was the sixteenth year of Great Liang Dezheng, and the scorching sun of July baked the earth, filling the air with the dry scent of dust.
Wu Guohua stood on the field ridge, gazing at the lush potato field, his heart pounding like a drum.
The purple potatoes, which should have matured in August, now had yellowing leaves—a sign that the tubers were ready.
"Grandfather, we can dig them up," Wu Guohua whispered, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
Grandfather Wu Jiulong squatted down, his rough fingers parting the soil at the base of a potato plant. Beneath the soft, sandy soil, purplish-red potatoes nestled together, like a litter of chubby newborn babies.
The old man's calloused hand suddenly trembled, and his pipe clattered to the ground. "Heavens..." Grandfather's voice seemed to drift from a great distance.
Wu Guohua swallowed, carefully digging up another plant. More purple potatoes rolled out, each the size of a bowl, heavy and with skins so smooth they reflected his face.
He counted them—there were twenty-five under one plant!
【Harvested purple potato, experience +20】
"Don't just stand there!" Grandfather suddenly barked in a low voice. "Chunfang, Juhua, Liuer, you three go scout around. If you see anyone coming, cough loudly.
Wenbin, Wenzhang, Wenwu, bring the baskets! Let's pack them up and hide them first, then carry them back after dark."
The entire family awoke as if from a dream and immediately sprang into action. Mother, Second Aunt, and Third Aunt's faces flushed with excitement as they quickly dispersed to the surroundings, pretending to gather firewood while keeping watch.
Father Wu Wenbin and Second Uncle and Third Uncle carried all the family's baskets, but this matter did not alarm the children in the family, except for Wu Guohua.
Because the children were still too young, if they knew, it would be troublesome if they told others outside.
Wu Guohua watched his family carefully digging up potatoes, and his nose suddenly stung.
Every time Father dug up a plant, he would shake his head in disbelief; Second Uncle Wu Wenzhang held several potatoes, tears streaming down his face;
Third Uncle Wu Wenwu was like a child, weighing the potatoes in his hand repeatedly, muttering, "This one must weigh over half a catty..."
In the middle of the night, the last basket of potatoes was quietly transported into the cellar. Grandmother He Xiaoqin lit an oil lamp and, with trembling fingers, counted the quantity: "It's piled up to nearly half the cellar; it must be over two thousand catties..."
The cellar was so quiet they could hear each other's breathing. Under the dim lamplight, the mountain of purple potatoes glowed faintly, like a small treasure mountain.
"Listen carefully," Grandfather's voice was low and powerful, "No one is allowed to speak of this outside! If the Zhao Family found out..." He didn't finish, but everyone understood the implications.
Wu Guohua felt a rough hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Grandfather's eyes, which held a sparkle he had never seen before.
"Guohua, tell me...can these be used as seeds?" Grandfather's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
"Yes!" Wu Guohua nodded vigorously. "And we can harvest another batch of potatoes four months after planting them."
Grandfather's Adam's apple bobbed, then he turned to the whole family and said, "Tomorrow, get up before dawn and plant all five acres of the newly opened sandy land!"
In the following days, the Wu Family operated like a precise machine. The women got up before dawn to cut the seed potatoes, each potato cut into ten pieces, ensuring each piece had a plump eye;
The men were responsible for tilling the land, digging trenches, fertilizing, transporting seed potatoes, and watering. Wu Guohua was responsible for the most crucial step—personally burying each seed potato into the soil and then watering it for root establishment.
【Planting purple potato, experience +20】
【Watering, experience +1】
The prompt sounds kept ringing in his mind, but Wu Guohua no longer had time to pay attention.
His fingers were chapped from prolonged contact with the soil, and his back ached so much he couldn't straighten up, but looking at the newly planted potato fields, his heart felt as sweet as if he had drunk honey.
Even more surprising was that these purple potatoes were not only high-yielding but also incredibly filling when eaten.
At dinner on the first day, the whole family gathered in the courtyard, each with a large bowl of dry potato chaff rice in front of them.
The golden potato mash emitted an enticing aroma, and with a little coarse salt, it was a delicacy.
"It's a pity there's no lard, no soybean oil, or other seasonings. Otherwise, I could stir-fry some shredded potatoes; that would be absolutely wonderful," Wu Guohua thought to himself.
"Strange," Third Uncle mumbled, taking a large bite, "Why are these potatoes so fragrant?"
Wu Guohua tasted it slowly, finding that this mutated potato was indeed unique—it had a delicate and dense texture with a faint sweetness, and after swallowing, a warm current immediately surged through his stomach, making him feel energized.
The next day, when working, he noticed that Father and the uncles were exceptionally energetic. Tasks that previously required three or four rests could now be completed in one go.
Mother and the aunts no longer tired as easily as before, even humming tunes while washing clothes.
One morning, half a month later, Wu Guohua was awakened by a burst of laughter. He rubbed his eyes and walked out of the house, seeing Mother, Second Aunt, and Third Aunt huddled together, their faces flushed with a rare blush.
"What's wrong?" he asked groggily.
Mother Zhang Chunfang suddenly pulled him into her embrace, her voice filled with joy: "Guohua, you're going to be an older brother again..."
Wu Guohua paused, then understood.
He looked at the happy expressions of his three elders and suddenly remembered the nutrition knowledge he had learned in his previous life—when the human body receives sufficient nutrition, fertility naturally recovers.
These mutated potatoes not only filled the stomachs of the entire family but also brought the hope of new life! This discovery further boosted the Wu Family's enthusiasm for reclaiming land.
With enough physical strength, the men began to advance towards more distant barren slopes; the women meticulously cared for the vegetable garden and fruit trees; even the children actively helped with weeding and catching insects.
Wu Guohua shuttled between the fields every day, watching the experience points on his attribute panel grow rapidly.
【Harvested cucumber, experience +10】
【Harvested tomato, experience +10】
【Watering, experience +1】
【Weeding, experience +1】
What surprised him most was the fruit orchard. After only three months of planting, the peach trees were already taller than him, their branches laden with unripe fruit;
The pear tree leaves were glossy and thick, shimmering in the sunlight; even the slowest-growing walnut trees had sprouted new branches.
One evening in late July, the entire family gathered in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air. Grandfather, for the first time, took out his treasured yellow wine, pouring a small cup for each adult.
"Come," the old man raised his rough pottery bowl, tears welling in his eyes, "To the good days of our Wu Family, cheers!"
Under the moonlight, everyone's faces were beaming with happy smiles. Wu Guohua looked at this scene and suddenly felt that the memories of his previous life had become very distant.
Now, he had a loving family, hopeful fields, and what more could he ask for?
In the distance, the five newly planted acres of potato fields swayed gently in the night breeze. Before long, another astonishing harvest would arrive there.
And on the more distant slopes, there were still vast tracts of barren land waiting to be reclaimed, quietly awaiting the Wu Family to create new miracles.